Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Humble Pie
We all have things at which we excel and they are usually things we also enjoying doing. It is humbling to remember that those very things are gifts that we should not take credit for but that we should be continually grateful for. Our gifts are intended to be used for the glory of God, and any other use distorts the gift, since we have to twist it's direction to our own glory. Whether that gift is athletic, musical, intellectual or artistic, it is most beautiful when it is lifted up to the one who created it in us. Additionally, that giving back to God also reflects on us. When we glorify God, our faces reflect his face, our lives his life, our action his actions. That is what we want--to be taken for him, because we are like him. The greater our gifts, the more humbly we should apply them--not timidly or apologetically. If we use them right, they should bring great glory, awe and inspiration, not just to the ones who observe them, but we ourselves should be awed at how greatly God has chosen to use us.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sweating it Out
I am feeling really great today, having just returned from my regular workout at Curves. Most days it is just was it is described as: a workout--which is an abbreviation for work until you're pooped out. Not today. I wore a tank top and shorts, which makes me feel either really fat when I'm not happy with my weight, or really thin when I am--which I am now. So feeling thin, and happy with the results of some hard work over the summer, I worked extra hard and my energy was not sapped. It was one of those rare days when you feel anything is possible.
Most days it is just grunt, sweat, pull, push, and grunt some more. You leave tired but satisfied that it is over and that you managed to get through it one more time. By the time you get home and stop sweating and are ready to shower, you are beyond satisfaction. You are proud of yourself, respecting yourself, and feeling some energy return.
So today was a gift. By the next time I go, it will be back to grunt and sweat. I'll take the gift, but the grunt and sweat days are what keep me going back.
Most days it is just grunt, sweat, pull, push, and grunt some more. You leave tired but satisfied that it is over and that you managed to get through it one more time. By the time you get home and stop sweating and are ready to shower, you are beyond satisfaction. You are proud of yourself, respecting yourself, and feeling some energy return.
So today was a gift. By the next time I go, it will be back to grunt and sweat. I'll take the gift, but the grunt and sweat days are what keep me going back.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The World at Our Finger Tips
Truly I believe the internet has been the greatest culture changing development since the printing press. Information, goods, people and causes are all at our disposal within seconds. It is a soapbox before the whole world, a warehouse of every conceivable product, a social connector of peoples and cultures, as well as a sewer of disgusting behaviors.
Its uses are increasing exponentially, and how it affects or dominates our lives is up to us. I now make phones calls using its caption telephone options. I put my calendar on there to remind me of everything from appointments, to birthdays, to watering my plants. I also let it remind or inform my family members of upcoming events. If I want a product I can find it doing a search. If I want some information--same thing. If I need a map all I need is the address and a minute of time. It sends me information about my credit and banking status. It has connected me with people I had lost track of, and acquainted me with others that I didn't know very well. I get the funniest pictures, cartoons, videos and stories sent to me, and I pass some along myself. I have scanned and posted my favorite photos out in cyberspace. Recipes are available by the hundreds for single ingredients, and I am probably underestimating that.
This post could get very long indeed without much trouble or deep thinking on my part as to how the internet is changing the way we live. But part of my point is that much of it is convenient, enriching and delightful. However, there is a downside. Can our world get too bloated to sustain? Can there be an overload of possibilities that keep us from the smaller, delicate, and beautiful things that we now overlook for the big picture? Can we become too burdened by the anvil of knowledge around our necks? We need to proceed carefully to make sure that we are using this as a gift to make us better people. If the effect is otherwise, then it is time to reevaluate.
Its uses are increasing exponentially, and how it affects or dominates our lives is up to us. I now make phones calls using its caption telephone options. I put my calendar on there to remind me of everything from appointments, to birthdays, to watering my plants. I also let it remind or inform my family members of upcoming events. If I want a product I can find it doing a search. If I want some information--same thing. If I need a map all I need is the address and a minute of time. It sends me information about my credit and banking status. It has connected me with people I had lost track of, and acquainted me with others that I didn't know very well. I get the funniest pictures, cartoons, videos and stories sent to me, and I pass some along myself. I have scanned and posted my favorite photos out in cyberspace. Recipes are available by the hundreds for single ingredients, and I am probably underestimating that.
This post could get very long indeed without much trouble or deep thinking on my part as to how the internet is changing the way we live. But part of my point is that much of it is convenient, enriching and delightful. However, there is a downside. Can our world get too bloated to sustain? Can there be an overload of possibilities that keep us from the smaller, delicate, and beautiful things that we now overlook for the big picture? Can we become too burdened by the anvil of knowledge around our necks? We need to proceed carefully to make sure that we are using this as a gift to make us better people. If the effect is otherwise, then it is time to reevaluate.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Discriminatory Procrastination
Ever notice how you never procrastinate doing things that are fun, exciting, or just the challenge you were looking for? No, procrastinating is reserved for all those mundane, gritty, unavoidable chores that give little joy until they are behind us. They nag us, implore us, scare us and threaten us to take action, often to little effect. And when we do decide to move, it feels like a surrender. Our resistance has broken down. There are no options left except to do what we should have done long ago.
And why do we put up with nagging, threats, stubborn laziness? A tension exists between what needs to get done and how desperately we want to avoid it. The pressure builds, and then the cracks in the wall start the crumbling of our will.
Sometimes we go through times of great discipline. We get up and go at it every morning, till much more is done than we thought possible. We are energized by our effort, encouraged by our discipline, and proud of our efficiency. It just does not seem to be sustainable for indefinite periods of time. And that's when the list grows, our lethargy kicks in, and the discrimination starts for each item waiting, waiting, waiting.
And why do we put up with nagging, threats, stubborn laziness? A tension exists between what needs to get done and how desperately we want to avoid it. The pressure builds, and then the cracks in the wall start the crumbling of our will.
Sometimes we go through times of great discipline. We get up and go at it every morning, till much more is done than we thought possible. We are energized by our effort, encouraged by our discipline, and proud of our efficiency. It just does not seem to be sustainable for indefinite periods of time. And that's when the list grows, our lethargy kicks in, and the discrimination starts for each item waiting, waiting, waiting.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
OK. This is just a complaining rant.
Two nights in a row all the lights have been left on!
I found a broken fan blowing--broken in the sense that the cover had come off and the blades were whirling exposed to the whole world!
I asked someone to do their chore in a timely fashion. This person did not, so I woke said individual up this morning from a blessed sleep so it could get done on time...
The dog is still shedding. He should be ashamed of himself at this point.
There is a lump under the carpet downstairs. Do I have to rip it up to find out if the lump is a dead mouse??? In frustration, I step on it every time I go by!
I hate fruit flies!
I can't find a document I need to get something done.
People don't seem to realize that the dog needs water in this kind of weather. C'mon, folks. Let's not have someone representing our dog's best interests sue us! (It could happen.)
A useless project was foisted upon me, as if I have all the time in the world. I will probably get asked if I finished it, which means I have to do it or hurt their feelings.
When the bread in the bread box turns green you don't have to wait for me to find it. You can throw it out yourself. It's not that hard.
Insects living in the oak tree that hangs over our deck are pooping Karo syrup onto it. For weeks we could not sit down out there unless we didn't mind sticking to our chairs. That's the last straw for that tree. We need firewood.
Cover your mouth when you cough! Not with your hand!!!! Elbow. Elbow!!!
Phew! Now I feel better.
I found a broken fan blowing--broken in the sense that the cover had come off and the blades were whirling exposed to the whole world!
I asked someone to do their chore in a timely fashion. This person did not, so I woke said individual up this morning from a blessed sleep so it could get done on time...
The dog is still shedding. He should be ashamed of himself at this point.
There is a lump under the carpet downstairs. Do I have to rip it up to find out if the lump is a dead mouse??? In frustration, I step on it every time I go by!
I hate fruit flies!
I can't find a document I need to get something done.
People don't seem to realize that the dog needs water in this kind of weather. C'mon, folks. Let's not have someone representing our dog's best interests sue us! (It could happen.)
A useless project was foisted upon me, as if I have all the time in the world. I will probably get asked if I finished it, which means I have to do it or hurt their feelings.
When the bread in the bread box turns green you don't have to wait for me to find it. You can throw it out yourself. It's not that hard.
Insects living in the oak tree that hangs over our deck are pooping Karo syrup onto it. For weeks we could not sit down out there unless we didn't mind sticking to our chairs. That's the last straw for that tree. We need firewood.
Cover your mouth when you cough! Not with your hand!!!! Elbow. Elbow!!!
Phew! Now I feel better.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Corny
Corn on the cob is a sensual experience. You can eat it dripping with butter and gritty with salt and pepper, or like me, eat it au natural. Personally, the melted butter oozing down my chin is not what I consider pleasant, and it distracts from the taste of the corn. I like to feel the kernels with my lips, and enjoy the popping sensation as I bite down to detach all that golden goodness.
Slightly under-ripe corn is so superior to over-ripe starchy corn. It is the Cadillac of corn, whereas the ears with kernels so crowded they have become rectangles instead of little bursting bubbles, are the pre-owned clunkers in the corn lots. They are tough and invariably stick between your teeth, reminding you that you just ate an inferior piece of produce.
Most people don't realize that after you have eaten the corn off the cob you can milk the cob for the best flavor of all. By scraping your knife down the rows, the interior creamy portion of the kernels which sometimes gets left behind, slides out. One cob can produce another decent spoonful of this milky, tender sweetness. It is worth the trouble to not pass it up.
Fresh corn on the cob is beautiful to look at, fun to eat, and deliciously sweet. Never turn down an opportunity to eat it off the grill, where the natural sugars have carmelized to a golden brown and that smoky grilled smell turns your salivary spigots on to full blast. And never, ever cut if off the cob is you are capable of eating it intact.
Slightly under-ripe corn is so superior to over-ripe starchy corn. It is the Cadillac of corn, whereas the ears with kernels so crowded they have become rectangles instead of little bursting bubbles, are the pre-owned clunkers in the corn lots. They are tough and invariably stick between your teeth, reminding you that you just ate an inferior piece of produce.
Most people don't realize that after you have eaten the corn off the cob you can milk the cob for the best flavor of all. By scraping your knife down the rows, the interior creamy portion of the kernels which sometimes gets left behind, slides out. One cob can produce another decent spoonful of this milky, tender sweetness. It is worth the trouble to not pass it up.
Fresh corn on the cob is beautiful to look at, fun to eat, and deliciously sweet. Never turn down an opportunity to eat it off the grill, where the natural sugars have carmelized to a golden brown and that smoky grilled smell turns your salivary spigots on to full blast. And never, ever cut if off the cob is you are capable of eating it intact.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
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